The Great Recession has left plenty of marks on the Portland area. Here’s one of the happier ones: so far, at least, a lot of the cars aren’t coming back.

The number of registered passenger vehicles in Multnomah County peaked in 2007, a review of 16 years of state records shows. After the economy began shrinking in early 2008, passenger vehicles per resident started a rapid slide, landing 9 percent lower by 2012. Finally, in 2013 and 2014, the local economy began a relatively rapid rebound out of one of the sharpest local downturns in the country.

But in those two years, the number of vehicles the average Multnomah County resident registers has edged back up just 1 percent.

The story is similar in Washington County, where car registrations per capita fell 5 percent from 2007-2012 with a 1 percent rebound over the two years that followed.

Data: Oregon Department of Transportation and Portland State University. Chart: BikePortland. For readability, axes do not start at zero.

Nationally, and also in Clackamas County, the ratio of cars to people fell by about 3 percent from 2007 to 2012. In Clackamas, too, the car ratio is up 1 percent from 2012 to 2014.

Interestingly, Multnomah County’s persistently low ratio of cars to residents (for the area, that is) barely seems to have been affected by its influx of jobs and higher-paid residents. As of 2013, the median income of a Portland resident has raced past Washington County’s:

Because the population of all three counties keeps growing — Washington and Multnomah counties by an average of about 7,500 people each year, Clackamas by about 3,500 on average — the number of cars in each county has grown in the last few years, too. But even with all that growth, Multnomah County still has fewer registered cars than it did in 2007.

“When Baby Boomers retire, they reduce their vehicle travel by half, and then each year they reduce their travel a little bit more.”— Todd Litman, Victoria Transport Policy Institute

“Many of the factors are structural,” he said. “The aging population is the biggest one. When Baby Boomers retire, they reduce their vehicle travel by half, and then each year they reduce their travel a little bit more.”

Litman thinks that trend has combined with the cumulative effect of better walking, biking and transit information to increase the number of households that share a single car for multiple adults.

“Somebody who 10 years ago would have driven to work is now not only seeing better bicycle facilities and hearing about the importance of healthy lifestyles and getting lectures from their physician about the benefits, but they’re also seeing their neighbors make that shift and it’s a little more socially acceptable,” he said. “And higher fuel prices or parking fees or whatever.”

“When the car breaks down,” he concluded, “they’re not going to replace it.”

After a few years, bicycle culture is clearly on the rise in both spots. Last summer, responding to a series of violent incidents in Portland, a few men involved with the New Columbia area approached the CCC for advice. Its organizers helped them create a widely attended Take Back the Streets ride through North Portland. Last November, we covered the Dia de los Muertos ride promoted by Andando en Bicicletas en Cully, the Hacienda-based family biking group, and Mujeres en Movimiento, another new Latina-led bike group in Portland.

A group ride from Hacienda to a Dia de los Muertos party in Northeast Portland.(Photo: M.Andersen/BikePortland)

ABC has also succeeded in getting funding for secure bike parking to eventually be retrofitted into their development — something residents there had named in the 2009 interviews as one of their main reasons for not using bikes.

But those and other CCC programs have been largely powered by government grants, and for one reason or another since 2011, those grants have dried up, at least for now.

CCC CEO Mychal Tetteh, a former manager of the CCC bike shop, returned to lead the CCC in the midst of that trend, in 2013. He said in an interview Sunday that the CCC grosses about $1 million a year from its Alberta Street bike shop, $250,000 to $300,000 from individual and corporate donations and (as of 2011) $380,000 or so from government and foundation grants and contracts.

But in the last four years, that $380,000 has fallen to $80,000. The Portland Children’s Levy, the federal Jobs Access Reverse Commute program and (as of last week) Metro’s Regional Travel Options program have all cut their support for CCC programs.

Last week’s loss of the Metro grant creates a $75,000 gap in the CCC’s budget starting July 1. That includes most of its staff support for both programs.

Community Cycling Center CEO Mychal Tetteh, center.

Tetteh said the New Columbia and Hacienda programs have become “core” for the CCC and will continue no matter what.

“These are fundamental to the success of the Cycling Center going forward,” he said. “We’re committed to continuing the work that we do that’s nationally recognized. … This includes our commitment to our partners at New Columbia and Cully.”

Tetteh said he thinks the best long-term source of new funding for the CCC is government programs that aren’t specific to bicycling.

But he said that although the CCC is in some ways an “outlier” within the bicycle movement, sone of the biggest obstacles to CCC funding are the same “stigmas” that hold back other parts of the bike movement.

“If you’re sitting around the table and you’re making a deicison about a funding stream and in the back of your mind you think a bicycle is a toy and not a tool, then we still have a lot of work to do,” Tetteh said. “You’ve got to have a lot of inside game in a lot of different places to make that happen.”

Tetteh said that as Portland continues to grow and its population becomes more and more dominated by non-natives, it’s becoming more important for active transportation advocates to present their arguments in broadly appealing ways.

“We’re not necessarily having messages that are really appealing to people who sit in traffic all day.”— Mychal Tetteh, CEO of the Community Cycling Center

“Traffic isn’t going to get any better,” Tetteh said. “Active transportation folks like us, we get it. [But] we’re not necessarily having messages that are really appealing to people who sit in traffic all day.”

Tetteh said Portland deserves to be more than a mediocre transportation town, and is in the “goldilocks zone of the goldilocks zone” as a place where bicycling has huge potential to keep growing.

So the CCC will find some way to continue its programs helping marginalized Portlanders use bikes in their daily lives.

“The urgency that we carry in the delivery of our mission means that we can’t sit around, we can’t hang our heads, if we don’t get funding,” Tetteh said. “The work has to continue.”

Want to help the CCC a bit while having a good time? Come to its Transportation Trivia event Tuesday evening at the Oregon Rail Heritage Center, 2250 SE Water Ave at 6 pm. $10 at the door buys you a beer and a chance at trivia glory; bring a card or checkbook for optional donations to help the CCC.

A memo released today by Commissioners Amanda Fritz and Nick Fish, laid out a new future for River View Natural Area.

And that future, we’re sorry to report, does not include mountain biking.

The City of Portland does not think that mountain bike riding is compatible with their conservation goals and says all biking at River View must cease on March 16th. This is a stunning blow to off-road bicycling advocates who had set their sights on River View as a key trail-riding area that would also feature a family-friendly skills course.

The memo references several environmental concerns that led to the decision, including endangered fish species that rely on the 146-acre parcel’s seven streams that flow into the Willamette River.

Here are the key parts of the memo:

Deferring advocates to the Off-Road Cycling Plan isn’t likely to assuage their frustration — especially since many of them see the plan itself as nothing more than a stall tactic that is unlikely to result in new singletrack riding opportunities.

The Portland Parks & Recreation bureau (which Fritz heads up) and the Bureau of Environmental Services (run by Fish), teamed up to buy the 146 acre wooded parcel in May 2011. Since the day the sale went through, off-road biking advocates have assumed the area would be developed to include bike trails. People have been riding the dirt trails at River View for several decades, and it seemed that, especially after being snubbed at Forest Park, mountain biking would be a natural fit at this location.

Even city staff were publicly open to the idea. In August 2012, Emily York, a policy coordinator for Commissioner Fish, said biking and conservation efforts could co-exist. “Our team is open to those two things happening at the same time,” she said, “they’re aren’t mutually exclusive.”

Portland’s legions of off-road biking lovers have been pushing the city for years to provide more access to close-in trails that don’t require local residents to drive up to an hour away just to ride.

To help make the case that mountain bike access should remain once River View got developed, volunteers have donated many hours of their time at several work parties to clean up the area and restore and maintain existing trails.

Just last year, the Northwest Trail Alliance came out with a plan to build six new bike trails and a family-friendly skills area.

We’ll have more on this story later this week. Download the memo here (PDF).

Parking problem: Space for free bike parking in Amsterdam is so scarce that the city is planning to build an underwater garage — for much less than it’d cost to build one for 7,000 cars, of course.

Pennsylvania hospitality: Advocacy group Bike Pittsburgh has organized eight local businesses to provide free coffee and hot chocolate to participants in the city’s first winter bike to work day.

Lock override: A California thief armed with either superpowers or a mysterious electronic remote unlocked an Audi to steal a $15,000 bicycle.

Unequal transportation: From slashed New Orleans bus lines to deadly amounts of particulate pollution in Buffalo, transportation policy remains a major source of U.S. racial inequality, writes Slate.

Youth rising: Last month’s Youth Bike Summit in Seattle marked the first year that kids at the annual event have outnumbered adults.

Freeway money: The state of Washington, already leading the nation in highway spending growth, is angling for a gas tax hike of 12 cents per gallon. How much money the deal would send to mass transit, biking and walking is up for debate.

International model: Portland’s neighborhood greenway system is one of 10 global best practices for street design, according to Streetfilms. (Yes, its expansion is still stalled by cuts to the city’s active transportation budget.) The full list (which doesn’t have any spoken words, just action shots) is your video of the week:

If you come across a noteworthy bicycle story, send it in via email, Tweet @bikeportland, or whatever else and we’ll consider adding it to next Monday’s roundup.

Biking on a flat off-road path is terrific. But biking on many first-rate streets might be better.

That’s the argument made on Wednesday by reader Terry D-M, at least. In the midst of the heated discussion over whether the Portland Bureau of Transportation needs an equity and inclusion manager, Terry offered a comment that seemed a little off-topic at first but eventually circled directly on point.

The job of an equity manager, Terry argued, would be to help people such as the members of the city’s volunteer Bicycle Advisory Committee escape the involuntary blinders that he thinks caused them to neglect infrastructure outside the central city in favor of (in his view) expensive luxuries like the long-planned Sullivan’s Gulch Corridor between the Rose Quarter and NE 21st.

(Note: Terry refers in his comment to a BAC list of 13 top projects, including the Sullivan’s Gulch trail as one of the last few. That list was later shortened to focus on 10 projects that they were asking the city to prioritize. We shared the list of 10 here.)

The City Bicycle Advisory Committee recommended a list of 13 projects that should be the HIGHEST priority. Of these, it includes close to $27 MILLION of investments in North or NE in the 1.25 mile radius from Downtown between Sullivan’s Gulch and Swan Island, not including Bike Share. This includes Broadway-Wiedler, Sullivan’s Gulch phase one, the 7th avenue bridge and north Portland Greenway Trail to Swan Island.

There are NO projects recommended for all of SEUL (outside of that needed 7th street overpass, which is technically downtown). SEUL has close to one third of Portland’s entire population.

East Portland gets two projects, for a total of $8.5 million (the three M’s Greenway and 122nd). The west side gets $14.2 million (Flanders, Barbur Terwilliger, Capital), though I think $3 million for the Flanders greenway AND overpass is a little under estimated in cost.

But what is in there for SEUL? Nothing….no recommended investments for Montavilla, Lents, South Portland…In Fact, outside of the Three M’s and 122nd, the ONLY project east of 21st that made the list is the upper 70′s greenway which is MUCH less needed than access to PCC SE for our low income students. We do have some of the lowest high school graduation rates in the country.

I would think that spending $7.7 million on a fancy multi-use path from the waterfront that only reaches a little more than mile out…only until 21st as further east the ROW is owned by the railroad….when there are ALTERNATIVE ROUTES would be less important than improving bikeway access to school and neighborhoods. That money could build the 60′s, 70′s and 80th greenways AND connect Sellwood to Lents via the new ByBee MAX station with a south Portland bikeway. What I see is almost $8 million being prioritized for professional commuters and recreational cyclists going to their gentrified work and play places. In Central East and South Portland getting to school or Community College is DANGEROUS which could be significantly improved for a very reasonable investment. I would think that THIS work force development would be more important than being able to put on your spandex and do a quick ride to the waterfront from your Sullivan’s Gulch Condo on a new fancy path just for you and your professional neighbors. These routes I have just outlined have been endorsed by their Neighborhood associations, ALMOST completely…..I know, since I was the one who presented to some of these groups and got the endorsements for these needed projects.

This is why we need an EQUITY manager. Even those in the know, who are supposedly the best, trying to advise city council…did NOT take class issues into account when they ranked them. This group is DOWNTOWN CENTERED. Yes they have a great advocate from east Portland on the committee, but these choices obviously tell me they did not look at the city as a whole…they are mostly downtown focused professionals that made some high profile token additions for those in the outer districts.

THIS IS WHY THIS POSITION IS IMPORTANT.

Whatever you think about Sullivan’s Gulch, Terry makes some pretty solid points, both about planning and about the difficulty of equitable decision-making.

Yes, we pay for good comments. We’ll be mailing a $5 bill to Terry in thanks for this great one.

]]>Thoughts on lawmakers who “just want to start a conversation”http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/BikePortland/~3/GIXBEn68dqM/thoughts-lawmakers-just-want-start-conversation-135131
<p>In light of Oregon House Representative John Davis&#8217;s bill that would mandate what type of clothes people would have to wear while riding a bicycle, I want to re-post some thoughts I published back in January 2011. Back then, we were covering a very similar situation where Oregon legislator Mitch Greenlick wanted to &#8220;start a <a rel="nofollow" class="read-more" target="_blank" href="http://bikeportland.org/2015/02/27/thoughts-lawmakers-just-want-start-conversation-135131">Read More &#187;</a><br />
<hr /><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.bikeportland.org/contactus">Sponsor BikePortland.org. Advertise here.</a><br />
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<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://bikeportland.org/2015/02/27/thoughts-lawmakers-just-want-start-conversation-135131">Thoughts on lawmakers who &#8220;just want to start a conversation&#8221;</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://bikeportland.org">BikePortland.org</a>.</p>http://bikeportland.org/?p=135131Sat, 28 Feb 2015 00:21:32 +0000In light of Oregon House Representative John Davis’s bill that would mandate what type of clothes people would have to wear while riding a bicycle, I want to re-post some thoughts I published back in January 2011.

Back then, we were covering a very similar situation where Oregon legislator Mitch Greenlick wanted to “start a conversation” about bike safety by sponsoring a bill that would have made it illegal to carry a child of six years or younger on the back of a bike or in a trailer (yes, you read that right).

Here’s the post. It’s just as relevant today as it was back then…

Study first, then make new laws (if necessary)

Published January 2011

I Just want to quickly point out that there’s an alternative method for legislators to “start a conversation” on complex and/or potentially controversial issues other than proposing a new law that would prohibit a popular and safe activity.

The current legislative session has two such bills that I’m aware of…

The first, which we covered back in December, is from the House Transportation committee. Instead of proposing a bill about bike licensing/registration (which we know would be met with outcry), they’ve drafted a bill, HB 2331, that directs the Oregon Department of Transportation to do a study on the feasibility of the idea. If the idea is found to have merit, then legislation could follow.

Another bill that calls for a feasibility study is HB 2032. The bill, introduced by Portland House Rep. Jules Bailey, directs the DOT to conduct a study regarding the cost and feasibility of replacing Marquam Bridge (the I-5 freeway that crosses the Willamette River south of downtown Portland. And, as we shared back in 2006, it’s not as far-fetched as you might think).

Both of these bills are excellent first steps in learning more about an issue — and then determining whether or not to propose legislation. The problem with Rep. Mitch Greenlick’s approach (and others before him) is that he has gone about it backwards.

In a story about his bill that was just published by The Oregonian, local bike shop owner Todd Fahrner puts it this way, “He says he wants to start a discussion. It seems patently ridiculous to start a discussion by trying to criminalize something.”

Representative Ben Cannon, who got his share of push-back for proposing a beer tax last session, says he’s learned his lesson from that episode and is now, “… more careful about the precise form of the bills I introduce.”

I don’t think Rep. Davis is anti-bike and I don’t think he has anything against people who ride them. This is an issue of perspective. And Davis, like the vast majority of Oregonians, lacks a well-rounded perspective about cycling simply because they don’t do it on a regular basis. He does, however, drive a car every single day, and therefore his perspective around that activity is much more nuanced, evolved and sophisticated.

Unfortunately, despite Rep. Davis’s best intentions, his bill won’t go anywhere and it won’t start a productive conversation about safety. Because, unlike simply pushing a half-baked idea into the legislative meat-grinder, real and impactful conversations are not easy to have. They take hard work by people dedicated to the issue and who are will to do the basic due diligence and research to make sure the conversation leads somewhere positive.

Rep. Davis, if you have concerns about the safety of bicycle riders on Oregon roads, I would be happy to sit down and talk about it with you. Name the time and the place and I’ll be there. (In fact, that’s exactly what I did on KATU TV’s interview show back in 2012 when a local business owner wanted to start a ballot initiative to make bicycle licenses and registration mandatory. Many people where outraged as his idea, but he was reasonable about it and we had an excellent “conversation” that allowed both of us to make our points known.)

Simon Mottram, the founder of Rapha Performance Roadwear, was in Portland on Tuesday and he met with Portland Mayor Charlie Hales. Hales paid a visit to Rapha’s North American Headquarters in northwest Portland.

Rapha was founded in 2004 and in recent years has enjoyed a massive spike in popularity. The company has sponsored Tour de France champions and is known for premium prices and dedication to epic road riding. In addition to an online store, they also operate nine retail “Cycle Clubs” around the world — including three in the United States.

According to Rapha spokesman Chris DiStefano, the conversation during Hales’ meeting also included the company’s North American General Manager Hillary Benjamin. They discussed the local bicycle-related industry and how Portland might do even more to encourage and promote it. Mottram, who lives and works in London, told Mayor Hales about the success of cycling in the UK and the recent strides his hometown has made in bicycle infrastructure.

Reached for comment after the visit, Mayor Hales had this to share with us:

“We talk about the biking culture in Portland. We talk about the outdoor apparent sector of our economy. And we talk about the importance of international trade. But when you visit a place like Rapha, you see that these are just different facets of the same diamond. The lifestyle, the economic sector, the lure of international businesses– they all go hand-in-hand in Portland.”

2) Northeast Broadway Corridor improvementsfrom the Broadway Bridge to NE 24th. This would link up to an anticipated protected bike lane on NW/SW Broadway all the way to maybe the #1 biking destination in the city: Portland State University. $3.5 million.

3) Terwilliger Bikeway Gaps. These would create a continuous bike lane over the hills above Barbur Boulevard and through Southwest Portland past another major biking destination, Oregon Health and Science University. $1 million.

7) 122nd Avenue Corridor Improvements from NE Sandy to SE Foster. Bike lane, sidewalk and public transit stop improvements on East Portland’s most important north-south street. TriMet has said it would upgrade the 71 bus to frequent service if changes like these are made. $8 million.

8) North Portland Greenway Trail from Swan Island to the Rose Quarter. A direct link between two of the city’s fastest-growing job areas, Swan Island and the Central Eastside, and part of a continuous off-road path from the tip of the St Johns peninsula to the Springwater Corridor. $7.3 million.

10) NW Flanders Neighborhood Greenway, including a biking-walking bridge across I-405. The first comfortable link between downtown Portland and the city’s densest residential neighborhood, connecting to the Steel Bridge and TriMet MAX. $3 million.

BAC Chair Ian Stude said this week that the committee devoted a lot of effort to building this list, drawing on what he said is a geographically diverse membership and striving to serve a mix of neighborhoods and populations.

The PBAC has concerns about the overall project selection for the TSP constrained and unconstrained list and how this aligns with the need to equitably distribute these projects throughout the city. However, we have identified 10 high priority projects from the list of 290 currently listed in the TSP draft. We ask that PSC and PBOT prioritize these projects as critical improvements to the transportation network.

A member of the Oregon House has introduced a bill that would require all bicycle riders in Oregon to wear reflective clothing. Representative John Davis (R-District 26) introduced House Bill 3255 this morning.

According to the text of the bill, Davis wants anyone caught riding a bicycle, “on a highway or on premises open to the public” without wearing reflective clothing to be punished by a maximum fine of $250. The bill also dictates that the clothing is, “including but not limited to a reflective coat or reflective vest.” The new law would only apply to people riding bicycles at night (between sunset and sunrise).

The new offense, “Failure of a bicycle operator to wear reflective clothing,” would be a Class D traffic violation.

The law would only apply between sunset and sunrise.(Photo J Maus/BikePortland)

Rep. Davis, who serves as Vice-Chair of the House Committee on Transportation and Economic Development, is serving his second term as a House Rep after being re-elected in November 2014. He was endorsed by The Oregonian in part because they felt he was a, “skilled legislator with the combination of knowledge and common sense necessary to help forge solutions to difficult problems.”

Davis’s district stretches from south of Wilsonville all the way north to parts of Aloha.

We’ve reached out to Rep. Davis’ Salem office and have yet to hear back.

Bill as filed.

- H/t to BTA lobbyist Gerik Kransky for alerting us to this bill.

NOTE: This story was first published with “hi-viz clothing” in the headline. It has been changed to “reflective clothing.” We apologize for any confusion.

UPDATE, 3:04 pm: I had a phone call with Rep. Davis. Here’s what he shared about the bill:

He works in downtown Portland and some of his co-workers ride bikes and have family members that are “avid cyclists.” Davis said many of them, “especially those who ride at dusk, are supportive of this.”

Davis told me he thought his bill, “Would be an interesting starting point of a conversation,” and added, “I’m interested what cyclists think about this.”

When I asked why he chose to focus his safety concerns on a bike-specific measure that doesn’t take into account driving behaviors, he said, “I think it’s a back-and-forth… We all use the road and we all need to be using it safely together.”

Davis said he feels that a “significant amount of responsibility belongs with drivers” because of the larger capacity they have to do harm to other road users. “But what is the healthy balance to ensure maximum safety?” he wondered.

When I told him I’m aware that many bicycle riders detest this concept and are already against the bill, he maintained that he’s had a “number of cyclists and a number of my constituents who support this idea.”

Davis also said he hopes to plan a public hearing in Salem sometime in March where people will have the opportunity to “Come to the legislature and talk about the benefits of cycling.”

When I asked Rep. Davis why, if he’s so concerned about safety, he voted against a bill (Senate Bill 9) that increased fines for texting and driving in 2013, he provided a non-answer. “We’re talking about this bill, so that’s what I’d like to talk about.”

Get out and explore the Springwater Corridor path on Saturday.(Photo by J. Maus/BikePortland)

Welcome to your menu of weekend rides and events, lovingly brought to you by our friends at Hopworks Urban Brewery.

What are your plans for the weekend? The weather looks like it will hold up and be just dandy for some bike riding.

If you don’t already have something planned, perhaps we can entice you to one of the rides below. Whatever you do, have a great weekend!

Friday, February 27th

Gold Sprints at Western Bike Works – 6:00 pm at the shop (1015 NW 17th)
Show up and show off your strength and spinning skills (or lack thereof) and enjoy prizes while hanging out at Western Bike Works’ Corsa Cafe. All you need is a good attitude and they’ll provide everything else. This will be good practice for the finals which will take place at their new Tigard location on March 27th. More info here (FB).Portland Bike Party – Illumi-Naughty – 7:00 pm at Jamison Square (810 NW 11th)
The monthly Bike Party ride has a lit-up theme tonight. Or, more precisely, a neon light theme. Come dressed (you and your bike) in the brightest and loudest, most hi-viz stuff you can find and join others who will be “fostering smiles and laughter, Masterminding a world that parties on wheels.” Afterparty at Hopworks BikeBar (3947 N. Williams). More info here.

Saturday, February 28th

Free Bike Maintenance Clinic at Pedal PT – 10:00 am at 2622 SE 25th Ave
This is the second part of Pedal PT’s bike maintenance clinic. Show up and get expert insights from Aaron Michalson of Left Coast Bicycle. He’ll review flat fixing and go over derailleur adjustments. There will also be a Q & A and time to practice on your own. Coffee and treats will be provided. More info here.

Biking About Architecture: Buckman-Ladd Edition – 12:00 pm in parking lot behind Holman’s (2705 SE Ankeny)
Join Jenny Fosmire and her crew of merry urban architecture lovers for a laid-back tour (about 7 miles) of old homes, modern dwellings, and even a geodesic hendome! Ride at as Cartopia food carts. More info here.

Tualatin Mountains Work Party – 12:30 pm at Skyline School (11536 NW Skyline Blvd)
Remember that exciting project Metro has embarked on to improve bike access in the Tualatin Mountains? Now is your chance to show them how much that access means to you. This is the first-ever work party for this project and advocates want to get as many volunteers as possible to show Metro that bikes and the people who love them are an asset to our mountains and natural areas — not a threat. This even is co-hosted by Metro and the Northwest Trail Alliance. You’ll help them plant 2,000 shrubs! More info here (FB).

More Hidden Gems of the Springwater – 1:00 pm at Woodstock City Park (SE Steele and 47th)
Puddlecycle Tom is leading what should be a fun exploration of the Springwater path. Join this ride for an exploration of the hidden gems along the Springwater as it winds out toward Gresham. Highlights of the route include an arts plaza, a graveyard, Tsuru Island, a secret rock garden, Butler Creek nature area, and more. More info here.

Sunday, March 1st

Dirty Circles Road Race – 8:00 am in Woodland, WA
It’s the first road race of the 2015 season! Dirty Circles is a three race series. The route is a relatively flat, 6.1 mile loop along the Columbia River. This full day of racing features categories for men and women of all skill levels. More info here.

NW Trail Alliance Group MTB Ride – 9:00 am Universal Cycles (2202 E Burnside)
If you’re looking to get familiar with the best trails and mountain bike routes in the region, these are the folks you need to connect with. This week’s ride will head out to Siouxon for a 22 mile loop. More info here.